Conference Names Synthetic Opiates and Painkiller Abuse a Big Problem
A San Diego conference warned of the increasing addictions to synthetic prescription opiates like OxyContin. Authorities claim that these drugs cause problems similar to cocaine and heroin, but are legitimized by the public due to their availability as prescriptions. Former Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey said that "the abuse of these synthetic opiates comes with the same personal consequences as abuse of heroin." The conference was sponsered by CRC Health Group Inc., a provider of chemical dependency treatments.
Comments
Wow! Don't know where to begin.
This new generation of addicts has discovered that synthetic opiates such as OxyContin induce the same intense euphoric high as cocaine and heroin.
So coke and heroin induce the same high. Maybe he needs to look up the psychopharmacology of these drugs. Same nonsense as that Canadian Mountie who claimed that a hit of high-potency pot was like a hit of acid.
Medical and law enforcement officials have discovered these addicts break the same laws and suffer the same consequences as people hooked on cocaine and heroin.
Apart from the alleged absurdity that cocaine and heroin addicts go through the same experience, those getting oxycodone through prescription and diversions know what they're getting.
Experts say that there are 1.4 million painkiller addicts in the United States, versus an estimate of 980,000 heroin users.
Why are heroin users being equated with painkiller addicts? According to the 2004 NSDUH, less than half of past year heroin users were past month users (166,000/398,000). Users does not equate to addicts.
McCaffrey, who is now a national security professor at West Point, was the keynote speaker at the conference sponsored by CRC Health Group Inc., one of the largest providers of chemical dependency treatment in the country
I don't remember seeing a NORML press release on this blog, so why is this article of a conference sponsored by a drug-treatment company, covered as "news" on this blog?
Posted by: daksya | April 14, 2006 03:05 PM
While the conference itself has bias thanks to its sponser, this shows what some big players in the debate over drug policy believe - including a former head of the ONDCP. This is a slice of what a some policymakers believe in regards to the drug problems in America, and as a result, I think it is worthy of posting. When people like you can point out the inconsistencies by making commentary, it helps put these things into better perspective.
As for the statistic equating heroin users and painkiller addicts, I will remove it from the post. Nonetheless, the number of heroin addicts (compared with users) will be even lower, which further highlights the problem posed by addictive painkillers.
Posted by: Daniel Walter | April 14, 2006 04:58 PM